Ultimatum
by lotusflowerlove6
Summary: My name's Calantha Bell, and I'm a demigod. They tell you that life as a demigod isn't going to be easy, and they're right. My boyfriend just got back from his quest with a scar on his cheek, and my ex-bestfriend suddenly contacts me on the same day. Luke's acting strangely. I know it, but he won't tell anyone about what's going on. Come on, Luke, talk to me. On Hiatus
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: If I owned Percy Jackson and the Olympians would I really be spending my time on a fanfiction website? I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians._

_Claimer: Cal and Iz are mine! _

"This is so unnecessary," I told my best friend slash half-sister, Isobel, as we prepared for the party at the Aphrodite cabin. Some of our other siblings were also getting ready for the party of the summer, but most of the others were working on some sort of project. Personally, I'd rather not attend. The parties at Aphrodite's cabins tend to get…wild. My medium length black hair with violet tips fell in ringlets down my back, and Iz had gotten me into a purple strapless knee-length dress and sandals. She sat in front of the mirror while I sat on the edge of my bed.

"You've been overworking yourself," the girl scolded. Isobel and I look almost nothing alike, except for our eyes, which we both inherited from our mother. Athena, freaking goddess of wisdom. Iz's hair was blond and had cut into a pixie style so that it wouldn't get in the way during combat. The only thing we share are our mother's stormy gray eyes. One of our younger half-sisters, Annabeth, has them too.

I'd like to make a statement before I continue. Everything you read about the gods of Olympus, the monsters of Ancient Greece, and the heroes of legend are all real. Hell, George Washington's my half-brother. Anyway, you probably think I'm nuts, and I can't blame you, but it's true. I've seen it all, and I have the injuries to prove it. I have a sword, armor, helmet, and shield. I can whip up battle strategies in minutes, and I can read and speak Ancient Greek with no trouble at all. If you don't believe me, so be it. I'm going on with my story.

"I train when I'm nervous," I informed her and started to fidget impatiently. Sitting still went against my entire being. I'm designed to fight, to react. I don't do still.

"Luke?" Iz asked in understanding. Luke Castellan, son of Hermes, was carrying out some kind of quest for his father…and I'm dying not knowing what's going on.

I heaved a sigh and got up to pace to room, "It's been months, Iz. No Iris messages, no phone calls. I'm starting to get worried." Luke's a strong hero, but…even heroes have their limits. Something could go wrong, and he might not make it back.

"Calantha Bell," Iz said sternly and turned around with her hands on her hips, "Luke can take care of himself. You need to lighten up. Come on, the party should be starting soon."

"I don't want to go to this, Iz," I told my friend stubbornly. I don't know. It feels like I'm dishonoring my friend by choosing to go to a party when he could very well come back to the camp tonight. I don't want to be standing awkwardly during the party if Luke comes back and finds everyone at the Aphrodite cabin.

"Cal, please?" Iz stuck out her bottom lip in a pout. She widened her eyeliner rimmed gray eyes pleadingly.

"I don't know, Iz. What if Luke comes back?" I wondered.

"He should be glad that you're having fun instead of waiting around for him to come back," Iz stated.

I rolled my eyes, but I guess she was right. Luke was always telling me to lighten up and focus less on training and more on my social life. I'm the kind of girl who doesn't _want _to be seen. I grew up with my father and played the part of the obedient daughter, and we had a mutual tolerance of each other. There was affection, sure, but that changed after he got married. I was the forgotten child of billionaire Dean Bell, except by the public. When I was at school, I had to put up with people constantly trying to get on my good side, or try not to have my life ruined by the people who didn't like me. I found refuge in my friend, who turned out to not be my friend. It was no surprise to me when my father sent me to Camp Half-blood in New York.

"Cal! Cal!" Annabeth shouted; her wavy blond hair flew behind her as she ran at me. My half-sister looked surprised and excited at the same time. She wore a camp T-shirt under her armor and her celestial bronze dagger was sheathed and strapped to her waist.

"What is it, kiddo?" I asked the ten year old girl.

"It's Luke, he's back," Annabeth said with wide gray eyes brimming with excitement. Everyone in the cabin froze, and then we all shot out of the cabin together. Annabeth and I ran faster than everyone else. Annabeth was only ten, and she's been at the Camp since before I even got here. Luke and Thalia brought her here apparently. I've heard the story of how Thalia sacrificed herself to save her friends, and her father, Zeus, transformed her into a tree to spare her life. Now, in the form of a pine tree, she guards the Camp. That left Luke and Annabeth. The two of them were even closer with each other than they were with their half-siblings.

Annabeth and I led our cabin to the Big House. The Big House is pretty much the administrative building for the Camp; we do almost all of our business here. It's a five story building, including the attic, painted sky blue with white trim. "Everybody stay here," I instructed the others from my cabin. I couldn't really pull off the intimidating cabin counselor look in my dress and heels, but the others did as I told without question. I looked down at my half-sister and noticed that the young girl was trembling; I smiled at her to assure the girl that it was okay, "Come on, let's go welcome Luke back."

The interior of the Big House was welcoming, the way you expect your kind old grandmother's house to feel like. I took slow steps through the halls, but Annabeth seemed to be restraining herself from running through the building. I don't know exactly what I felt. I was excited, but terrified. Happy, but sad. Quests change people, and I couldn't help but think about how Luke's quest had changed him. The door to Chiron's office was open a crack. I knocked and slowly opened the door. The room was slightly cluttered with items Chiron's collected from his many travels over the centuries. He had an old fashioned Victorian desk. On the desk were a desk lamp, a few pens, papers, and books. Chiron was in his wheelchair form behind the desk, I know this because the lower half of his body wasn't visible behind the desk. The centaur – yes, he's a centaur – had shoulder length curly brown hair, thick brows drawn together as he listened to Luke, and his intense brown eyes were focused completely on Luke. Luke Castellan can easily be described as handsome, and he is. He has an athlete's build, and slightly tanned fair skin, short-cropped sandy blond hair, and clear blue eyes. At the time, he stood with his back to us. "May we come in?" I asked with the door only slightly ajar.

"It is fine with me," Chiron stated, undisturbed by the interruption, "Luke?"

There was a long silence, and I felt my heart twist in fear that Luke would dismiss me and my half-sister. He finally spoke, "Yeah, sure." Annabeth flung herself through the door and threw her arms around his waist. He hugged her back fondly, and I stepped into the room a lot less…certainly than Annabeth had. "How are you, kid?"

"I'm fine," Annabeth said and her eyes widened in horror at something I couldn't see, "Luke…what happened?"

"Oh, this?" Luke asked lightly, "I had a little bit of trouble during my quest. It's fine now." He kept one arm around Annabeth, holding her to his side, and turned to finally face me. I gasped when I saw what had Annabeth concerned. There was a scar marring the left side of his face. It ran from the bottom of his eye down to his chin. "Hey, Cal," Luke said in a measured voice.

I stepped closer to him, "Luke. You had me terrified, you know?" I was so relieved. Luke was fine, but his face was permanently scarred. I don't care, though. The life of a demigod comes with a lot of downsides. Scars are one of these. I didn't see his scar as an imperfection, I saw it as a part of who he is.

Luke chuckled uncertainly and tentatively put his free arm around my waist, "Sorry about that." I leaned into him and rested my head on his shoulder. It should've felt right, but it didn't. Something had changed.

"Let's finish this tomorrow," Chiron said to Luke. "Cal, Annabeth, would you accompany Luke back to his cabin and keep the others from bothering him?"

"Of course," I replied. Luke steered me out of the room with Annabeth on his other side. I detached myself from his side in the foyer. His expression changed after that; it darkened and he didn't meet my eyes. "I need to make sure that you don't get mobbed on your way back to the cabin," I explained.

"Okay, come on Annabeth," Luke said to the younger girl. She and I locked gazes, and a message was sent. We were both thinking the same thing. Something about Luke was different. It was subtle, but it was still there. The way he held himself, his voice when he spoke, and the way he was acting was all just…different.

I walked out first, with the two of them following behind me. It seems that everyone in the Camp was gathered around the Big House, just waiting for Luke. There were murmurs among the crowd as they saw Luke's new scar. "Okay, everyone," I said in a loud voice, "Luke needs to get settled in, so don't bug him with questions and other crap. Move it. Come on." It was as if there was a bubble around Luke and Annabeth with me at the edge of it. All the campers moved out of the way as we came through.

"Luke!" one of the Aphrodite girls called out. My ears rang at the high-pitched note of her voice, and the flirtation it carried. She pushed her way to the front of the crowd, and she almost crossed into the imaginary circle, but I stopped her. It was Sue Maddison. Beautiful, blond, tall, the very picture of a daughter of Aphrodite.

"Not now, Sue," I hissed angrily as she attempted to step around me. Luke and Annabeth kept walking, but stayed in front of Sue until I was behind the two of them. Two sons of Hermes took over for me and restrained the beautiful girl. I smiled gratefully at them. We made it through the crowd, with sons and daughters of both Hermes and Athena holding back the enthused campers. I kept my distance from Luke and Annabeth and followed them to the Hermes cabin. The cabin had faded brown paint that was chipping off and a caduceus – the staff carried by Hermes; a wooden staff with dove wings at the top and two snakes twined around it – hanging over the door.

"Go inside," Luke told Annabeth gently with a smile, "I just wanna talk with Cal for a second." Annabeth looked from Luke to me questioningly.

I nodded and smiled at her, "Go on, sweetie, we won't take long." Annabeth cast another look at us before opening and closing the door to the cabin. Luke and I were pretty much alone, considering that pretty much everyone was either still rounded up at the Big House or heading to the Aphrodite cabin.

"Aren't you going to ask?" Luke spoke in a dark tone. I know what he meant. The scar…the quest in general. Although, I can already guess what happened, but I asked him anyway.

"What happened?"

"Dear old Dad wanted me to get him a damn Golden Apple," Luke said with venom in his voice, "I did what I had to do, and I got the freaking Apple, but then the guardian showed up and left me this pretty souvenir." He motioned to his scar. I winced at the darkness, and anger, and hatred in his voice.

"Luke…" I started, but he cut me off.

"Don't," his voice came out as a hiss, "don't tell me you're sorry." So I didn't. I pressed my lips to his and cupped his face in my hands. Luke's arms encircled my waist without hesitation. I pulled away.

"Luke," I said again, "I'm proud of you." Then he moved in to kiss me. It wasn't the gentle, reassuring kiss I had given him. He crushed me to him and tightly hugged my waist. I smiled through the kiss and pulled his face closer to mine. We broke apart and sat on the steps of the cabin. I leaned my head on his shoulder and entwined our fingers.

"You look beautiful by the way," Luke commented on my attire.

I blushed, even though I had been told the same line countless times in my life. It was different coming from Luke. When he said it, it wasn't just a pickup line. "It's just a stupid party at Aphrodite's cabin. Iz somehow convinced me to go, but now that you're here. I don't have to go."

"Why not?" Luke asked jokingly, "We should go."

"Luke, that's not the best idea," I protested. I know what would happen if we did. People wouldn't leave him alone about that scar or about his failed quest in general.

"Come on, Cal, this is the first party in how long that you're going to?" Luke asked with a smirk. I playfully shoved him.

"Oh, shut up. It's not like I'm a social leper," I said. "I just don't want to go. We can just stay here with Annabeth, or we can take a walk."

Luke laughed, a beautiful rich sound, "Cal, you're all dressed up like that, and you think I'm just going to pass up an opportunity to brag about how hot my girlfriend is?" Luke and I have been an exclusive couple for a year, and he's still smug that he actually got me to go out with him.

"No, absolutely not, no," I protested firmly. Then he picked me up and threw me over his shoulder. I squealed and laughed, "Put me down! I swear, Luke Castellan, if you don't put me down, I'll run Ultimatum through you!" It was an empty threat, and Luke knew it.

"I didn't hear you swear on the Styx," Luke said and started to spin around. The River Styx is a river flowing through the Underworld on which the gods, demigods, and all other magical creatures swear oaths on.

"Stop it!" I ordered, laughing wildly.

"Not until you agree to go to that party with me," Luke stated his terms.

"Okay! Okay! You win," I giggled as he put me down and smoothed down my skirt.

"I need to talk to Annabeth first," Luke told me and hooked his thumb at the cabin's door. He pulled me to him and kissed me shortly, "I'll meet you there."

"See you there," I said as he turned towards the cabin. I took a few steps away before turning and calling out his name, "Luke!" My boyfriend looked back at me with a raised eyebrow; I smiled at him, "I'm glad you're back."

"So am I," Luke smiled back and walked into the cabin. I felt as if he had stabbed me in the heart, because the smile hadn't reached his eyes. I should've realized then that the Luke Castellan I knew was gone, but I was too in love to see it.

#*#*#*

I waited for Luke for only an hour, and it was probably the longest sixty minutes of my life. The other half-bloods kept asking me questions about Luke's quest, and I kept turning them away. I refused to tell anyone about Luke's quest. He could do that himself.

"You're looking absolutely gorgeous tonight, Cal," a brown haired boy from Apollo's cabin said to me pompously. His name was Calvin Buckner, and he looked like a freaking Abercrombie model. I don't care how good he looked, because he was just flirting with me…even though the whole camp knows about me and Luke.

"Yes, she is," Luke said, appearing behind me and wrapping his arms around me possessively. I leaned into the embrace gratefully.

"Hey, Luke," Calvin greeted politely, and his whole demeanor took a change for the better. That's Luke for you. He commanded respect from the other campers, and usually, he got it. Although, he was still a trickey little imp. A family trait.

"Buckner," Luke acknowledged the other hero. Then he steered me away from the demigod without another word to the boy. "I hate it when they look at you like that," Luke said in a low voice meant only for me.

"Nothing to worry about," I assured him and kissed his neck. I could completely understand where he was coming from. Girls looked at him like he was a piece of candy on Halloween all the time, and there's nothing I could do about it. There's no point in trying to say that I don't look attractive…I'm not vain, at all. In fact, I hate that I look like a freaking daughter of Aphrodite. It's gotten me into more trouble than it's worth. We danced together during two upbeat songs and one slow song. The dances didn't go that well thanks to constant interruptions from the other campers.

We were sitting on the couch, and he was upset. I was nestled into the crook of his arm and leaning against him. Luke tensed every time someone shot him a sympathetic look or told him how sorry they were for him. He was staring at the lake, and I poked him in the side to get his attention, "Are you okay?"

He tried to smile convincingly at me, but I didn't buy it, "Yeah, of course." He kissed the top of my head, and I turned my head so that he kissed my lips instead. He pulled away and I reclined against him again. I was tired from training and the party, and my eyes slowly closed as I drifted into sleep. "Hey, Cal," Luke shook me gently before I could actually fall asleep.

"Mhmm?" I asked wordlessly.

"Come on, I'm taking you back to your cabin," Luke said and helped me off the couch. He walked me out of the Aphrodite cabin, and we were delayed by several demigods trying to get Luke to tell them about his quest. Eventually, we got out.

"Luke?" I asked as we walked towards my cabin with his arm around my shoulders. The cabins at Camp Half-Blood are numbered and organized numerically. The Athena cabin is Cabin Six, and the Aphrodite cabin is Cabin Ten.

"Yeah?" Luke asked and kicked a rock.

"What's bugging you?" I asked him with concern, "You're acting weird, and it's making me worry."

"You're so cute when you're worried about me," Luke commented.

I felt a little bit upset that he was blowing me off, but also a little flattered. "Luke, come on," I pressed and put my hand on his arm, "you shouldn't keep things from me."

"I'm not," Luke argued, "I'm perfectly fine, Cal. Don't worry so much."

"You should know better than that," I said crossly and pulled away from him.

Luke sighed and ran a hand through his beautiful hair, "I'm sorry, Cal. I just…did you see the way they were looking at me?" I nodded because I had seen it. The way their eyes filled with pity whenever they say Luke's scar. "I hate that," his expression became shadowed with hatred and anger, "I don't want them to look at me like that. I don't want _you_ to look at me like that. It's entirely father's fault. He set me up, Cal. That quest was impossible. Hercules himself failed."

My heart bled for him, and I didn't pity him. I wanted to be there for him, and I wanted to convince him that he was wrong. "They'll get over it," I promised him, "and I don't pity you. I just wish that you hadn't been hurt." I raised my hand to his cheek without thinking, and I gently traced the scar with my fingertips. "As for your dad, I'm sure that he didn't set you up. He wouldn't do that to you."

"I'm not so sure about that," Luke muttered.

"Hey," I said sharply and curled my fingers around his neck, "which part are you talking about?"

"The part about my father," Luke stated, "I know that you never want me to be hurt." We stopped in front of Athena's cabin. The building was plain gray and an owl was carved over the doorway. Personally, I'd prefer a splash of color.

"I better turn in," I said as we faced each other.

"Yeah, good night, Cal," he pulled me to him and we kissed. That boy always managed to make my brain turn up blank when he did that. Quite a feat considering my parentage.

"I'm so happy to have you back, Luke Castellan. I love you," I whispered to him. It wasn't the first time I've told him that, but it carried more weight now that he was back from a quest.

"I love you too," he said with a wide smile on his face. He kissed me again, more deeply this time. I sighed and pulled his shoulders closer to me. I giggled when I pulled away, and Luke was beaming at me. I cast a final look at him before entering the cabin.

Athena's cabin is mostly divided into two parts – the workshop and the library. The library has bookshelves stocked with books from over the years, ancient scrolls, and it also has tables and chairs for long term studying. The workshop is filled with tables and workbenches for construction of whatever interests us. There are even materials in there for us. Our bunks are pushed up against the walls so that they don't get in our way, and instead of normal wall ornaments, we have maps, blueprints, and armor.

My mind was still a little bit lost from Luke's kisses as I wandered to my bunk with a dreamy expression on my face. _You've got to be joking,_ a familiar yet unwanted voice drifted through my head. I stiffened, and the ecstasy from Luke's kiss faded.

_Aiden,_ I thought. I should really get out of the habit of calling him that. I mean how long has it been since I've discovered the truth about him? Years. _Hades,_ I corrected myself.

_You don't have to be so formal, love, _the god of the Underworld spoke into my mind with amusement. He had a British accent and appeared to me as a lanky teenage boy with wavy black hair and pale skin, but I've learned not to make any assumptions when it comes to the gods.

_I'd rather not have to speak to you at all,_ I retorted and crawled into my bed. My encounters with him weren't exactly the best memories of mine.

_You don't have to be so rude, Calantha. Honestly, it's not like we weren't friends at one point._ I recoiled at his cutting words.

_What do you want?_ I demanded. There was no reason…at all…for him to suddenly want to speak with me.

_I have a little quest for you, love, are you interested? _He meant business-wise, but his words seemed to carry a more suggestive message.

I pushed the thought away, _How do I put this nicely? No. Not even if the Underworld was collapsing in on itself. No. _

_You're such a liar, Cala! _Hades exclaimed with sheer enjoyment, _You're curious. _

_Please just go away, _I hissed mentally at the god of the dead. Yeah, I'm talking back to the god of the Underworld. Probably not a smart move, but I don't care. He's the one who decided to pretend to be my best friend for two years while forgetting to mention that little detail about him being a Greek god. But he knew me well enough to know that my curiosity almost always got the best of me. _What is it?_ I asked grudgingly. I could sense his triumph through the telepathic link.

_There's a little problem with the hellhounds. They're escaping and causing all kinds of trouble._

_ I assume you want me to go and hang up lost doggie posters?_ I asked bitterly.

There was amusement on his half, _Not the method I would propose, but I want my hounds back before Zeus gets on my ass about it. _

_ No, I won't do it. Talk to Chiron, he can find someone else to do it. _

There was a pause, and I thought that he had left my mind…well, more like hoped. I could still sense him there. _Do you hate me so much that you would refuse a quest?_

_ Yes, _I replied without any hesitation. This conversation was getting tiresome, and I don't want to deal with him anymore. _As fun as this little reunion has been, I need to sleep, and I want you gone,_ I thought coldly.

_This conversation isn't over, love. Say hi to your little boyfriend for me,_ he sneered. I no longer sensed his presence in my mind anymore. Good riddance. That filthy, no good, lying son of an effing Titan. I got up from my bunk and took a shower. Then I changed into pajamas and walked back to my bunk. I had the lower bunk, and Iz had the one above mine. I crawled under the gray comforters and let sleep wash over me.

_A/N...Like? Dislike? Review! :)_


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, I got up bright and early in the morning for some extra training. Some other kids start training early too, but most of the other teens sleep in until breakfast. I changed into dark jeans and a long sleeved blue shirt. Then I strapped on my armor and grabbed my sword. My blade, Ultimatum, is my baby. Nobody, and I mean nobody, touches that sword except for me. It's constructed of celestial bronze, and able to harm gods, demigods, monsters, and the like. I tied the sheathe to my belt and crept out of the cabin.

I made my way to the Sword Fighting arena. It was a round stone building held up by huge stone pillars on the outside. I walked through the open door and onto the dirt ground of the interior. As usual, the inside of the building was fairly unkept. Straw dummies in armor were strewn all over the room, discarded training swords and helmets were cluttered in numerous piles. There were a few other campers practicing on their own or against each other.

"Hey!" I turned to see two guys. One was large and muscular, definitely an Ares camper. The other one was tall, fairly muscular, one green eye was swollen shut, and his face was twisted into an ugly scowl. I rrecognized them as Matthew Peters and Arthur Puckett. Peters raised his sword in greeting, "Need a sparring partner or two?"

"Sure thing," I said with a confident smile. We took our places with the boys facing me with their swords in hand. I drew Ultimatum and spun it in my palm. "Ready for ass whooping boys?" I asked and took my stance.

"Bring it on," Peters charged me with a battle cry. Our blades clashed with a clang, and I could feel the pressure of the boy pressing down on his blade. I sidestepped and slammed the pommel of my sword into his shoulder, successfully knocking him forward. Puckett was much more careful than his partner. He slashed at me, and I blocked easily. It became a little bit more challenging when Peters got back up and started to try stabbing at me. I parried Peters's blows and dodged Puckett's. I finally took offense and swung my sword around in a semi circle at Puckett's side, leaving a long but thin trail of scarlet. I ducked under another of Peters's stabs, and sliced his under arm while he was unprepared.

"Too bad, so sad," I sneered and blocked Puckett's next attempt to charge me from behind. I pivoted and brought the flat of my sword to intercept his blade. I pushed him off and smoothly deflected a blow from Peters.

"I'm just getting warmed up," Peters growled and continuously slashed at me with his blade, leaving me no openings to attack. Our blades engaged again and the two of us applied pressure on our swords. I kneed him in the gut and turned my attention to Puckett. I used lunge after lunge to force him back. The son of Hephaestus was holding up well, but he was tiring out. My attacks were all well aimed, and my footwork was precise. I had the advatange until Peters got back up and aggressively tried to overpower me with his brute strength. I deflected one of Puckett's blows and twisted the sword right out of his hand. Then I quickly picked up his sword. I was a little bit clumsy with his blade because it was so much heavier than mine, but I quickly adjusted. I used the two blades to attack Peters with nonstop offense. We stepped away and circled each other.

"How's that warm up going for you?" I asked and spun Ultimatum in my hand. I lunged and stabbed at him with Puckett's sword then swung with Ultimatum. I pivoted around his next stab and brought Puckett's sword down on the flat of Peters's. While he tried to pull his sword out, I pointed Ultimatum at his throat. "Yield," I ordered him.

"You win this round, Bell," Peters said as I helped him get up.

"Good job guys," I praised the two of them and tossed Puckett his sword. Yeah, my mom never told me to not throw pointy objects. Actually, I'm pretty sure that she wants us to learn how to do just that.

"Mind if I try next?" Luke asked and walked up behind me. My boyfriend wore a striped black and gray shirt and jeans under his armor.

"Think you can beat me, Castellan?" I asked fondly and sheathed Ultimatum.

Luke laughed and wrapped his arms around my waist, "Eh, probably not, but I'm willing to try."

"Let's make this a little bit interesting," I said slyly and pulled away from him.

"I'm listening," Luke said with a mischievous light in his eyes. Such a child of Hermes.

"Loser has winner's strawberry picking duties for a month," I stated and drew my sword.

"You're on," Luke accepted my bet, and we faced each other a couple feet apart. "Don't think I'm going easy on you just because you're my girlfriend."

"I was just about to say the same thing," I grinned at him and we both attacked at the same time. I swept my sword over my head and brought it down to meet his. Luke pulled his sword out from under mine and sidestepped to avoid the tip of my blade. He aimed a couple sweeps at my sides, which I blocked on both sides.

"Nice," Luke commented as our blades engaged, and neither of us let up on our defense. I smiled at him and twisted Ultimatum away from Luke's sword. Luke constantly brought his sword down, and I was having trouble keeping up. He even managed to make me stumble back to avoid a lunge. I regained my footing and attacked him again, aiming at the weak points of his armor. Luke was grinning as he dodged a sweep of my sword. I laughed as he threw his sword up into the air and caught it by the handle.

"Show off!" I giggled and blocked his next attempt to bring his sword down on my shoulder. I stepped safely out of the way and pulled my sword back.

"Whoops, missed me," Luke teased as he dodged a stab. I spun to my right, and he ducked under the arc. I pulled back the attack and brought the sword down, but Luke rolled out of the way.

"Calantha Bell!" Chiron roared from the doorway. Everyone looked up at our instructor. The immortal wore a sleeveless shirt of brown leather with his sword hanging from his waist. Need I mention that his lower half was that of a chestnut brown horse?

"Uh-oh," Luke mouthed to me. I shoved him, put away my sword and ran to our trainer. He didn't look mad, at least I hope he wasn't mad. I followed him out of the arena.

"How long has it been since you came to this camp?" Chiron asked me as we walked the grounds.

"Two years," I stated. I've been living at Camp Half-Blood full time since I was fourteen. I've gotta say, it's a step up from living with my dad in California. At least here I wasn't completely lonely…well, there had been Aiden, but now I know that he wasn't real.

"And you've never been given a quest?" Chiron continued and swung his wooden staff onto his shoulders.

"No, sir," I replied with respect drilled into my head from private tutors my father hired for me when I was a child.

"I received a request from Hades last night. Surprising, considering how little he contacts those of us in the land of the living."

"What did he want?" I asked the centaur.

"There's trouble in the Underworld. Hellhounds are escaping into the mortal world. He wants you to retrieve them," Chiron informed me.

"Why me?" I demanded of him. Dammit! I went through this with Hades yesterday. I'm not going to do it. "Can't you get one of the Hermes kids to do it? Actually, I'm sure that Iz would love to do it. Let me go get her."

"He specifically asked for you," Chiron said. No fair. It's not like I can just refuse a quest when Chiron's telling me about it. He's like a father to me, and disappointing him isn't something I like to do. "You don't have to accept if you don't want to. Especially now that Luke's returned." Yes! He was offering me a way out, but…it wouldn't be right. No hero turns down a quest just because they don't like the person who asked for it.

"No," I sighed and shook my head, "I'll do it. I should probably go see the Oracle, shouldn't I?" The Oracle is the creepy mummy who lives in the attic of the Big House. Cool right? Too bad we can't use her as Halloween décor.

Chiron nodded, "After breakfast. We'll discuss this later." I took that as my dismissal, nodded, and started running back to the arena. Awesome, just awesome. Now, if I can survive the Oracle, I'm gonna play dogsitter for a bunch of lost hellhounds. Just. Freaking. Awesome.

When I got into the arena, I did a quick once over to find Luke. He was in the center of the arena with his sword in hand. He was locked in combat with Calvin. I watched Luke spar with the Apollo boy and slam his elbow down on the boy's collar. Ouch. Luke's opponent collapsed to the ground, and Luke ran up to me. "We never got to see who won the bet," I told him.

Luke scoffed, "I was winning that!"

"In your dreams, Castellan, I had you right where I wanted you."

"Oh, right," Luke rolled his eyes, "I'm so sure, Bell." I decided to not tell Luke about my quest until I speak with the Oracle. When I finish that up, then I'll tell him. In the meantime, I'd just enjoy the time I have with my boyfriend. "What'd Chiron want to talk about?" Luke asked and twined our fingers together.

"I'll tell you later," I promised and squeezed his hand tightly.

"That does _not _sound good," Luke stated suspiciously. Well, on a scale of one to ten with ten being the worst. This quest was a solid seven. It's not exactly easy to find gods know how many hellhounds in America, assuming that they're only in America. It would be difficult for me to restrain them without turning them to dust, again, I'm assuming that Hades doesn't want me to kill his pets. I do not want to go anywhere near Hades or the Underworld until I'm dead…wait, no…I'd rather haunt my dad's mansion than go down there.

"It could be better," I agreed.

_How so? _An infuriatingly smug voice broke into my head. It took all my self-restraint to not scowl at the intrusion.

_Get. The. Hell. Out. Of. My. Head, _I thought slowly. I'm already doing the stupid quest, he doesn't need to pop into my head anymore. I'd be able to take care of the rest by myself, no gods of the dead needed. Thanks, but no thanks. I didn't sense him in my thoughts anymore.

"Are you alright?" Luke asked as we started to walk out of the arena together.

"Hmm…I dunno. I'll get back to you on that," I replied.

#*#*#*

Since we can't intermingle with other demigods during meals and have to sit at our own tables, I kissed Luke good-bye and sat next to Iz at the Athena table. The only brunette in a family of blondes. I guess I take after Mom, or maybe it's just another one of Aphrodite's interferences.

"Hey, you alright?" Iz asked me as I bit into a piece of bread and downed a couple swallows of OJ. Gotta love enchanted goblets and healthy food. The pavilion's a cleared area with Greek pillars around the perimeter. There are torches mounted on the pillars for when it's dark out. The pavillion doesn't have walls or a roof…meals during the rain is not fun.

"Yeah, I'm just thinking," I told her. Stupid hellhounds, stupid quest, stupid Hades….

_I heard that,_ his voice sang in my mind.

_Anyone ever tell you that you're the most annoying immortal in the world?_ I snapped. Who gave him permission to go into my head? Nobody, that's who. Talk about disrespecting somebody's privacy.

_Maybe a couple of people…_

I was about to come up with a snappy retort, but Iz waved her hand in front of my face, "Hello? Cal? Are you in there?"

"Sorry," I said apologetically and snapped back to reality, "I don't know _where_ my thoughts are today."

"Well you better pull it together before capture the flag later today. There's no way that we can have our captain spacing out on us," Iz said and pointed a slice of her apple at me. As counselor of the Athena cabin, I took the place as captain during games of capture the flag.

I took an apple from the bowl of fruit on the table in front of me, "It's just something Chiron was talking to me about today, no problem. I'll be sorted out in time for capture the flag."

"And we'll still beat you," Luke said from behind me. He reached around me and plucked the apple from my hand. Luke took a bite of my breakfast and winked.

"Two months of strawberry picking," I challenged playfully.

"Prepare for failure, Bell," Luke said and ruffled my hair.

"You two make me sick," Iz spat out and popped a couple grapes into her mouth.

"She's just jealous," I cooed to Luke as he draped his arms over my shoulders.

"Aw, it's okay Iz, you'll find someone eventually," Luke said to my sister before turning to nuzzle my neck. Can you blame us if it's so much fun to annoy Iz?

"Gods, get a _room_," Iz exclaimed. A couple of my brothers snickered.

"Care to tell me where we can find one here?" I countered with a smirk. There weren't any private rooms. We had girls in one part of the cabin, and boys in the other.

Iz rolled her eyes, "Why do I put up with you?"

"Because without me you'd be a loser," I teased and threw a grape at her head. She caught it between her thumb and pointer finger…superior reflexes, you know?

Iz scoffed and smirked at me, "Oh, right, _that'_s it."

I gasped in fake outrage, "Are you insinuating something, sister?"

"Of course not, oh great counselor," Iz giggled and threw the grape back at me. My hand reflexively moved to catch it, but Luke was faster.

"Heey," I complained and craned my neck to look at him. "We were using that."

"Grapes are meant to be eaten, not thrown around like a baseball," Luke pointed out and stepped away from me to throw the grape into the air and catch it with his mouth.

"Am I supposed to be impressed?" I asked.

"Oh, so you think that you can do better?" Luke asked and pointed at me. I plucked another grape from the bowl and tossed it up. I caught it in my mouth without any trouble at all.

"Take that, blondie," I sneered at my boyfriend.

"You two…are absolutely lame. I'm so outta here," Iz said and got up from the table. "You better be ready for capture the flag, Cal, we need to kick some Blue Soldier butt." I laughed as my half-sister saluted and ran off to start her classes.

"I better get going too," I realized. I had to go get that prophecy from the Oracle and then Sword Skills for the third time this week.

"See you at lunch?" Luke asked.

"We'll see," I replied and kissed him before departing for the Big House. Chiron was waiting for me on the porch.

"Are you ready?" my centaur instructor asked as I stepped up onto the deck.

"I guess," I replied with a heavy sigh. Stupid. Freaking. Hades. I walked into the house and up to the attic. It was a good, normal attic cluttered with a bunch of random crap gathered by other demigods over the years, until you saw her sitting on her stool. Ladies and gentlemen, gods and goddesses, the Oracle! A shriveled up, mummified woman shrouded in a tie-dyed sundress with beaded necklaces hanging from her leathery neck The all-seeing Oracle opened her mouth and green mist poured out, and tendrils of it surrounded me. Now, I've never _seen _the Oracle before, but I've heard the stories. She's driven demigods mad, sent some into comas, and even killed a few.

_I am the spirit of Delphi, speaker of prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer of the mighty Python. Approach, Daughter of Athena, and ask._ The words touched my mind like an icy breeze...an icy breeze that sounded like it smoked…a _lot._ Uh, can you say creepy?

An image of me collapsing and going into a seizure. My breath hitched, and I felt _terrified. _"Tell me of my fate," I stated, mustering up all the courage in my body. The mist in the attic swirled fiercely, and two figures stepped out in front of me. I balled my fists as the faces became recognizable. My father, dressed in a designer pinstripe suit and tie, and my stepmother, wearing a floor-length violet gown with her golden hair pinned up. Another figure stepped between them. A girl, my age, with a Barbie perfect body and long, wavy blond hair. She wore a short, cherry red cocktail dress with silver hoop earrings. My stepsister whore.

My father opened his mouth and put his arm around Adrianna's shoulders, _Bring the two who know you best._ The voice wasn't my father's rich, cold, disapproving, deep voice, it was the rasp of the ancient mummy woman's.

Adrianna continued, _An unexpected arrival shall take you west._

Vanessa flipped her hair back and spoke, _Beware the liar's hate._ Even though I was trembling in my sneakers, I couldn't help but enjoy the sound of the Oracle's less than attractive voice coming from Vanessa's perfect face.

The voice came from my father next, _A single choice to seal his fate._

_ Your loved one's life the beasts will take,_ Vanessa said. I could literally feel my heart tighten as she said this.

_In the end, the final choice is yours to make,_ the Oracle spoke through the illusion of my stepsister. When that was done and over with the illusions faded back into the green mist. The mist all retreated back to the Oracle's mouth before my mind could process the many, many, many, _many_ thoughts swirling about in my head. When the last of the mist was swallowed up by the Oracle, I knew that she was finally done…but my quest had just started.

Dumb-founded and trembling, I opened the green trap door and climbed down the ladder. Somehow, I managed to not fall onto my butt as I walked down to the deck. Chiron was waiting for me by the pinochle table. There was concern in his brown eyes as he saw me walk out onto the deck, but his gaze also carried curiosity and questioning. I collapsed onto a lawn chair and massaged my temples. _Dear gods, what _was _that?_ I asked myself. I managed to compose myself and face my instructor confidently…at least I _hope_ that's what I looked like. "'Bring the two who know me best. An unexpected arrival shall take me west. Beware the liar's hate. A single choice to seal his fate. Your lo-loved one's life the beasts will take,'" my voice broke as I recited the part about someone I love losing their life. "'In the end, the final choice is mine to make,'" I finished and drew a shaky breath.

"Prophecies do not always state exactly what they mean," Chiron pointed out comfortingly.

"This one seems pretty straightforward to me," I said and folded my hands to stop them from trembling. "Someone I love is going to die." Then I broke down and cried in front of the creature who has trained the greatest heroes of all time.

"I know who has to go with me," I told the centaur after I finished bawling over a death that hadn't even occurred yet.

"Who do you believe to be the two of the prophecy?" Chiron asked.

"Luke and Iz," I stated. Nobody in Camp knew me better than Luke or Iz; actually, I'm pretty sure that they're the only ones who really know me. _Aiden…_ my traitorous mind turned to my former best friend. _No,_ I told myself angrily, _Aiden wasn't real. He was just someone Hades created to get to me. _It doesn't matter how many horror movies the two of us sat through, or how often I'd escape with him to the beach when I had a fight with my stepmother…he had still been lying to me the whole time.

"Are you sure?" Chiron inquired gently, not wanting to startle me.

I nodded, "Yeah. It has to be them. As for the rest of the prophecy…it tells me almost _nothing _about where to start."

"Then you and your friends will just have to work together on this, won't you?"

"I guess," I agreed. Now all I have to do is find Luke and Iz…and tell them that I need them to go with me on a quest. Oh, poor Luke! He just got _back _from a quest. I shouldn't be pulling him into my quest…Styx! He could…_Iz _could…Luke…the prophecy… My breathing quickened and my eyes stung with tears threatening to spill over. No, no, no. It can't happen. I can't lose either of them.

"Calantha," Chiron said sternly, "you need to get a hold of yourself." I took a deep, unsteady breath and closed my eyes. Chiron's voice became gentler when he spoke again, "Wait here. I will find Luke and Isobel." All I could do was nod because I couldn't trust my voice. The centaur trotted away, leaving me alone on the deck. I buried my face in my hands and groaned. Great. Now I had the weight of that horrible prophecy to bear…all thanks to Hades.

_Oh, cheer up, love,_ Hades said into my mind.

My head shot up. _Not a good time, _I snapped angrily. He seemed to get the message because his presence disappeared from my thoughts. I fidgeted in the lawn chair while I waited for Chiron to return with Luke and Iz. I felt my stomach drop as I saw the two of them walking on either side of Chiron towards the Big House.

Luke saw me and started running; Iz followed him after a nanosecond. Despite Luke having a head start, Iz got to me first. My half-sister wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug, and I almost started crying again, "You poor thing!" Iz released me from her death-grip and stepped aside when I started to stand.

Luke caught me as soon as my wobbly legs gave out. I gave him a weak smile, "Was she that terrifying when you saw her?" Luke simply responded by holding me against his chest, and I made no protest. Luke sat down on the lawn chair and pulled me down to curl up on his lap. Chiron walked up and leaned on his staff.

"He told us about your quest," Iz reported.

"Did you tell them about the prophecy?" I asked the great centaur without actually looking at him…or anyone else for that matter.

"I thought that you should be the one to tell them," Chiron replied. Makes sense. It wasn't his prophecy to tell. I recited the prophecy the Oracle gave to me. Why couldn't I have gotten a happier prophecy? Or at least one where a loved one doesn't die. There wasn't anything said once I finished. Iz was staring wide eyed at Chiron, and Luke tightened his hold on me.

"You guys don't have to do it," I told them. I wouldn't blame either of them for backing out; in fact, I'd prefer it. If they didn't get involved, then they wouldn't be put into harm's way.

"Of course we do!" Iz exclaimed fiercely, "You're my _sister_. There's no way I'm going to let you face this alone. What do you say, Castellan? Are you up for another quest?" How in the name of Zeus does she manage to stay so optimistic? I craned my neck to look up at Luke. He was watching me with sad blue eyes.

"Luke, you don't have to," I repeated.

"And leave you alone with your crazy sister?" Luke teased, "I'm in."

Chiron nodded with what I think is an expression of approval, "Then you three will have all day to prepare. Although, I expect you all to be at capture the flag."

"Of course," I promised.

"Get to it then, and good luck," Chiron dismissed us.

_A/N... What'd ya think? Is it worthy of your review? C'mon, let's see those comments and questions. A big thanks to my reviewers, I literally started freaking out when I saw that my story had actually been reviewed...I'd offer you nectar and ambrosia, but you'd probably burst into flames_

_ "anonymous reader": all of my main characters are named after flowers xD otherwise, I pick the most common names in America._

_ TheGoldenHairedMockingjay: (creepy Oracle voice) all will be revealed...(normal voice) once I finish writing the other chapters heheh_


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